Make and toss a bunch of these inexpensive little lights to add color to any ferromagnetic surface in your neighborhood.
Steps
Step #1: Test the LED.
Next
- Pinch the LED’s leads to the battery terminals, with the longer lead (the anode) touching the positive terminal (+) of the battery, and the shorter lead (the cathode) touching negative (-).
- Confirm that the LED lights up.
- Tape the LED leads to the battery by cutting off a 7" piece of strapping tape and wrapping it once around both sides of the battery. Keep the tape very tight as you wrap. The LED should not flicker.
- Place the magnet on the positive terminal of the battery, and continue to wrap the tape tightly until it’s all done. The magnet should hold firmly to the battery.
- The battery’s positive contact surface extends around the sides of the battery. Don’t let the LED’s cathode touch the positive terminal, or you’ll short the circuit.
- That’s it — you’re ready to throw (or make a few dozen more). Throw it up high and in quantity to impress your friends and city officials.
Conclusion
This project originally appeared in MAKE Volume 6, page 116.
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